Cycle frame



Mar. 6, 11.923'.

G. s. LEWIS. ,CYCLE FRAME.'

FILE-D MAR. 9, 1922.

Patented ar. 6, 1923.

'GEORGE S. LEVJIS, O1? OAKlPARK, ILLINOIS, ASSGNOR T0 )ffEfiD CYCLE COE/IEA'NY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, CORPORATION OF ILLNOIS.

cron?. raar/rn.

Application ledMarch, 1922.l Serial No. 542,410.

To all whom t may conce/m:

Be it known that l, GEORGE "Lewis, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oak Park, in the county of Cool; and State of illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cycle Frames, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cycle frames of the type formed with a pair of upper frame members commonly extending generally parallel with each other and secured at their forward ends to the hollow 'head portion of the frame, and, more particularly, to bicycle frames -of this type' and simulating in appearance the frames 0f motor-cycles.

My object is to reduce the cost of producing frames of this type, render them neaterA in appearance and durable to a high degree; my improvement relating to the head portion of the frame and the connection therewith of the front ends of the frame bars.

Referring to the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a cycle frame of the type referred to and embodying my improvement. Figure 2 is an enlarged view in side elevation of the head of the frame of Fig. 1. Figure 3 is a section taken at the line 3 on Fig. 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrow; and Figure a, an enlarged section taken at. the line l on Fig. 3 and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

Fig. 1 illustrates the upper portion of a frame of the character stated.` This frame, as shown, comprises a'vtubular head 5, in which the stem (notshown) of the front steering fork is journalled. A. seat-post-tee is shown at 6; and two upper, generally parallel, tubular frame members 7 and 8 are shown as connected at their front ends with the head 5, and at their rear ends, respectively, with the seat-post-tee 6, and with the seat-post-cluster 23. The downwardly converging frame bars 9 and 10 are shown as connected, respectively, at their ends with the head 5 and tee 6, and may be connected at their lower ends, in accordance with the common practice, with the crank hanger housing, not shown. The rear stay bars 11, Vonly one of which is shown, are connected at their ends with the seat-post-cluster 23, and may be connected at their lower ends, in accordance with the common practice, with the rear end of the lower frame bar (not shown), the front end of which con nects with the cranlrhangerhousing above .which hollow stub portions 111, 15 and 16 rearwardly extend, the stub portions 14 and 15 being shown as extending substantially horizontally and the stub portion16 inclining 'downwardly in a rearward direction.

`'llheportion of the part 12 `forming the stub Vportions 15and 16 is in the form of a fork, the branches of which constitute the stub portions 15 and 16 which open into each other as shown, in the particular construction shown the joint in the member 12 is at the rear edge thereof. By preference the outer ends of the stub portions 14, 15 and 16 are of slightly reduced diameter as shown.'

rlhe head 5 also comprises hollow members 17,V 18 and 19 each preferably formed from a single sheet of metal bent into tubular form, The forward ends of the members 17, 18 and 19 extend into the stub portions 14, 15 and 16 and by preference are pinned thereto as represented at 20, the forward ends of the members 17, 18 and 19 at which portions they exte-nd into the stub portions as stated, being of reduced external diameter as shown, preferably preserving the same thickness of metal throughout the length of the members 17, 18 and 19, whereby the outer surfaces of the members 17, 18 and 19 extend flush with the outer surfaces of the rearwardly extending reduced portions of the stub portions 14, 15, and 16. The menibers 17 and 19 are formed at their forward ends with ears 21 which extend within the hollow portion 13 of the head and overlappingly engage the inner surfaces of the latter, the forward end of the member 18 being beveled, as shown, and preferably contacting the adjacent surface .of the member 19.

The head 5 is also, preferably, provided with bushings represented at 22, these bushings being located in the upper and lower ends of the portion 13.

The rearwardly-proj ecting extensions thus provide-d by the head 5 serve as points of connection for the forward ends of the frame bars 7, 8 and 9, the latter being telescoped with the members 17,18 and 19 and the rear reduced ends of the stub portions it, 15 and is.

The parts assembled, as stated, are then secured together in any desirable way, for example by brazing these parts together to firmly secure together the meeting edges of the metalv forming theportion 13 and the stub portions, and securing to the latter and to the portion 13, the members 17, 18 and 19 and also firmly securing the bars 7, 8 and 9 tothe parts which they surroundand `adjacent to which they extend.

'It will be understoodfrom the foregoing that byV constructing a frame in accordance with my invention, all oi the tubes forn'iing fthe lframe bars `may be machine-cut at right .angles to the length of the tubes as shown or' :those lrepresented in `the drawing instead oi requiring any of the tubes to be fianged and `hand-'fitted ,as in the case of prior structures.

This feature of the invention, especially in combination With the others described, -not only permits of the frame being manufactured very much more economically than is the case with constructions as hitherto provided, but causes the trame to present a neater appearance and as great a degree, if not a vgreater degree, of durability, than prior structures. i

Vhile I have illustratedand described a particular construction embodying my `invention, I do not Wish to be understood as intending to limit it thereto as the same may be variously `modified and altered vWithout departing from :the spirit of my invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: 1 a

,A cycle frame construction comprising a tubular member, a projection therefrom, said projection terminating in orking tubular nipples, the walls of said member, projection, and nipples being integral with each other, aV sleeve projecting through one of said nipples to Ithe interior of said member, ears integral with said sleeve `bent into contact with and .secured `to the yWalls lolf said member, a sleeve .projecting GEORGE s, LEWis. 

